Reading Harry's Story Book One
by SnapeFreak4everrr
Summary: The summer after first year. 7 books appear during Harry's belated birthday party. Starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the party guests make their way through the series with shocks and scares for what the past and future hold.
1. Chapter 1

Harry had been at the Burrow for three days now. And it had been the best three days of his life. He loved the Burrow it was just so magical but he didn't mention it because every time he did he noticed Ron looked very embarrassed.

Ron was very embarrassed about his family's financial state, something that Harry was very sympathetic about having spent most of his childhood without anything. He wanted to offer the Weasleys' some money but didn't know how to do it as they were all very proud.

He put it out of his head as Ron once again bustled into the room trying to hide his grin. He was up to something, he was determined to keep Harry in his room and every now and then he would leave for a couple of minutes and return looking very pleased.

"Harry, Mum wants us downstairs", he tried to say this casually but the excitement was clear in his voice. Harry made his way downstairs shooting glances at Ron's glee filled face periodically.

Harry walked into the kitchen unprepared for what he was greeted with.

"Surprise!" Several people yelled.

The entire kitchen was decorated with balloons and banners, on a table lay various party food and sweets, next to which lay a small pile of presents. Harry glanced around at the people present some were familiar but some were new.

All the Weasleys' were present including two who Harry assumed were Bill and Charlie Weasley. Hermione was also there grinning at him and he instantly felt bad for ever thinking that she had simply abandoned him when in reality it was Dobby the House-elf stealing his letters. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore had also made an appearance and were currently chatting to a shabby looking man with brown hair and tired looking but warm honey brown eyes. His face lit up when he saw Harry and his eyes seemed to tear up slightly. Beside the door looking slightly nervous but happy was Neville Longbottom. Neville and Harry were hardly best friends but they had grown closer after the Philosopher stone incident. Beside Neville was a stern looking woman with what appeared to be a vulture on her large hat. Harry guessed that this was Neville's Grandmother.

"Happy Birthday!" Several people said. Harry's mouth opened and closed several times trying to say something before he finally managed, "But it isn't my birthday".

"Well we thought since you didn't get a proper birthday what with Dobby stealing your mail that we would have a sort of belated party", Molly said fondly. Harry neglected to mention that the Dursleys' were really the reason he didn't have a birthday because of the last time they had mentioned Harry's home life.

Despite how much she seemed to adore Harry, Molly just couldn't fathom how anyone could treat their own family so badly and so settled with the notion that Harry must be exaggerating.

"Harry", Dumbledore said softly to him, though non the less cheerfully, "This is Remus Lupin, he was a very good friend of your parents".

Harry looked at the man who nodded, Harry's heart suddenly filled with a warm glow as he looked at the man, someone who could finally tell him about his parents. The warm glow suddenly disappeared as his heart fell through his stomach. If this man was so close to his parents then where was he his entire childhood.

Remus seemed to sense the boy's feelings as the smile fell from his face and his eyes seemed to grow wearier.

"Augusta Longbottom, Mr. Potter", Harry was broke out of his internal musings as the woman with the vulture hat held her hand out to him. "Yes my son was also close to your parents, what with you and Neville being born so close together. Still its almost a shame that his birthday couldn't have affected his own personality so positively. He couldn't be less like my Frank if he tried".

The woman laughed although Harry didn't join in as he saw Neville's face fall even more. His loyalty the hat had described kicked in suddenly, "Well I don't know about his dad but I think Neville's just super. He's kind and brave and a lot smarter than he thinks he is. Really all he needs is a little self confidence and he'd be everything I'd want in a child".

He saw the woman's shocked looked which almost paled in comparison to the look of pure shock on Neville's face. He noticed Professor McGonagall smiling slightly as she shook her head. She could never understand why Augusta was so hard on her Grandson. She suspected that she was upset that Neville looked so much more like his mother that she wanted him to have Frank's attitude.

"Hmm, well now that the introductions are out of the way how about we let Harry open his presents", Arthur said desperately trying to break the tension.

Neville stood close to Harry as he made his way over to the table. "_Thank you" _he whispered and Harry smiled at him.

Harry stood at the present's table and tried to think about which present to open first. This was Harry's first ever birthday party and he so desperately didn't want to mess it up. The pile of presents was the largest one he had ever seen addressed to him, granted the only other time he had presents was at Christmas last year.

Harry made his way through the presents getting a Chudley cannons poster from Ron, a book about quidditch from Hermione, a box of sweets from the twins which came from a warning from Ron, a book about school rules with a none too subtle hint that maybe he could follow them this year from Percy, a Wizard's chess set from Bill and Charlie, a set of casual but slightly expensive looking set of wizard's robes from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Professor McGonagall gave him a book about Transfiguration theory, and much to the adults chagrin Dumbledore gave Harry a large supply of sweets, Remus gave him a defense book which upon looking inside the cover Harry saw had belonged to his father. He felt tears prick his eyes but furiously pushed them away. Neville and his grandmother had gotten Harry a plant which Neville informed him would change color based on his emotion. _"Like a mood ring" "A what? Tell me more" "Not now Arthur". _

Ginny blushed when he picked up a small looking one. He opened it to find it was a pendant of a lion's face with emeralds for eyes. He stared at it for a long time, it was beautiful Harry thought.

"Sorry if it's a little girly, I know it was probably a stupid gift and –" Harry cut her off.

"I love it", as if to reinforce his point he put the pendant around his neck.

"It matches your eyes", she said smiling and then as if realizing she had spoken aloud blushed and clutched her diary closer to herself.

Harry turned towards the last present and realized that he had run out of people it could be from. "Who's this from?"

Everybody frowned at that and when Harry went to reach for the large package he was pulled back strongly. Looking up he noticed that Remus had pulled him back and was holding his arms, preventing him from touching the present. Dumbledore moved forward and began casting numerous spells on the gift.

"It doesn't seem to be enchanted", he turned to Harry who felt his arms be released. He understood this as a cue and stepped forward and shakily unwrapped the present.

A box containing seven books. All of which began with Harry Potter.

"There's a note", Harry turned to see Hermione pointing at the present. Sure enough there was a note with slightly messy scrawl on it.

_Dear Harry and whoever else is present._

_I'm sure are wondering why you have been sent these books. The truth is the future is not looking so bright. Harry loses a lot and many lives are broken. These books detail Harry's adventures throughout Hogwarts. It is your decision what you make of them._

_Good luck._

_J.P. A.P. L.P._

Everyone was staring at the book with a nice sense of awe, whereas Harry was looking at them with a new sense of dread. How much would this book go into? How bad was the future?

"Well our job has been clearly outlined", Dumbledore said pulling out his wand, "Time to start reading".

"Legi-"

**Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.**

**Chapter 1 – The Boy-Who-Lived**


	2. Chapter 2

**Everybody sat down in the living room, with the older inhabitants occupying the seats, the children sitting on the floor and Dumbledore conjuring his usual plush chair.**

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. **

"You're welcome", coursed the Fred and George. With a collective groan everyone rolled their eyes.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"Well that sounds incredibly dull", Charlie commented.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. **

"What are drills?" Arthur questioned excitedly.

"Muggles use them to dig holes in things like concrete", Hermione explained.

"Fascinating"

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. **

"Sounds charming", Bill said and was quickly scolded by his mother.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. **

"Isn't that illegal?" Hermione asked but no one answered.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"Obviously haven't been anywhere else then", several people looked at Harry as he said this, unsure of why he would say something quite mean about his family even if they didn't sound exactly pleasant.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. **

"Is that even a word?" Neville asked and was answered by several shrugs.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. **

"Why would you encourage that sort of behavior?" said Mrs Weasley sounding outraged.

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map. **

"McGonagall", stated Harry, Ron, the twins, and Neville. McGonagall blushed at the memory.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of. It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road **

**The twins gasped.**

"What?" said George.

"Say it ain't so", Fred replied in response, the pair seemingly oblivious to the confused stares.

**to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"Oh, thank Merlin", said Fred.

"Its okay people, panic averted" George said as the children snickered.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry" Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. **

"That's outrageous!" McGonagall shouted, "They didn't even know your name"

Harry shook his head and decided not to mention that even he didn't learn his name until primary school. Until that time he had thought his name was boy. His teacher had been worried that he perhaps had hearing problems when he didn't respond during registration but one talk with the Dursleys had her believing he was an attention seeking brat.

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

"Oh cus your sister is so much better", Harry spat.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.  
><strong> 

"Five knuts says that was Flitwick", Ron whispered to Harry who snickered.

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.  
><strong> 

"Of course not" sighed Ron rolling his eyes.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

The room broke into laughter at the obviously McGonagall behavior.

**Was this normal cat behavior. Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). **

"They must be so proud", Hermione said sarcastically.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: "And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.**

**"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim."**

There was a collective grown at the terribly bad joke.

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain.**

**Owls flying by daylight. Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place.  
>And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...<strong>

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you."**

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.  
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"How dare you? Lily was five times the person that you'll ever be!" The Weasleys were surprised by their mother's outburst. Harry however felt heartened at the defense.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why." "Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..." "So." snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd." Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he." "I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.  
><strong> 

**"What's his name again. Howard, isn't it." **

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me." **

"Well no one asked you!" Harry looked at Ginny shocked this having been the second time she defended him, the first against Draco Malfoy.

Fred and George started to make kissy faces and swooning noises at the pair who blushed brilliant shades of red.

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.  
>While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.<br>It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things. Could all this have anything to do with the Potters. If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them... How very wrong he was.**

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.  
><strong> 

Ron leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Do you reckon he's a bit –" and swayed to finish his point.

Harry shrugged unsure and uncaring.

**His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

"Wicked", Ron exclaimed as Harry grinned in response.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,**

"You have a Deluminator sir?" Hermione inquired.

The slightly somber looking Dumbledore nodded. This night did not bring back happy memories for him. People celebrated the downfall of Voldemort but seemed to forget that Lily and James gave their lives.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.  
><strong> 

"Wow Minnie-", George said.

"-You haven't aged well" Fred said snickering.

Ron and Harry hid the grins behind their hands whilst Mrs Weasley screamed at the boys.

McGonagall stayed quiet, her heart aching slightly. Minnie had been the name that a fourth year Sirius Black called her. Back when he had seemed to full of life and innocence. McGonagall viewed all her Gryffindors as her cubs, and that one had strayed so badly, felt almost physically painful, and she often wondered if anything she had done could have influenced him into joining the dark side.

**"How did you know it was me." she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." **

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day. When you could have been celebrating. I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.**

**"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense." **

"Ah yes" Mrs Longbottom said, "Do you remember the time that he attempted to have bubbles flowing into the ballroom at the Diggorys' Christmas party and ended up trapping himself inside one of them", the adults chuckled at the memory.

"Yeah imagination making Muggles notice something strange, Gred-" snickered one of the twins.

"-Because of course Minnie would never be so foolish, Forge-" snorted his twin.

"-Ah yes because cats reading maps. So completely common". McGonagall blushed at the barb but decided it better to leave the scolding to Molly.

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years." "I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors." She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore." **

Harry looked to Dumbledore, everyone at this table knew that he wasn't gone forever.

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop." "A what." "A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of" "No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. **

"**My dear professor, when is it ever not the time for lemon drops?" Dumbledore inquired, and it seemed that from the look on McGonagall's face that she could probably make a list.**

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -" **

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name. All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." **

Most of the occupants in the room flinched, save for Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and surprisingly Neville.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.**

**"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of." **

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have." **

Harry looked at Dumbledore almost not believing him. What powers was he referring to?

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them." **

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **

"Ew-" said George.

"That was a tiny nugget of information that we did not need to know" finished Fred. Molly scolded the boys for being so rude to the Headmaster.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying. About why he's disappeared. About what finally stopped him." It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. " **

The occupants of the room looked some grieving, some reminiscing, and Harry marveling at how loved his parents seemed.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..." Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.**

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true." faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy.  
><strong> 

Harry almost felt ashamed that so many had fallen where he had lived. Survivor's guilt he had heard it described.

**It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive." **

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know." Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch.**

**It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way." **

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places." **

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now." **

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here." cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!" **

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. **

Yeah right Harry thought darkly.

**"His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter." **

**"A letter." repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter. These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!" **

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it." **

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore." She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.  
><strong> 

"That would be so irresponsible", Hermione shouted.

**"Hagrid's bringing him." **

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this." **

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that." A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.  
><strong> 

So it wasn't a dream, Harry thought.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle." **

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir." **

"Who is Sirius Black?" Harry asked. It seemed that Ron was about to answer but was quickly shushed by Mrs Weasley.

**"No problems, were there." **

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.  
><strong> 

"Aww ", the girls cooed.

**"Is that where -." whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." **

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore." **

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. **

Ron looked rather sick at the idea whereas the Twins looked under the table as if hoping to see it.

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir." asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.  
><strong> 

"I never realized Hagrid cared so much", Harry admitted.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!" **

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -" **

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.  
><strong> 

Harry looked at Dumbledore. Just like his book counterpart there was no sign of the familiar twinkle, instead a look of grief and regret.

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations." **

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.  
><strong> 

I didn't think she cared so much, Harry thought to himself, ignoring Fred and George's attempts to relieve the tension by blowing their noses loudly and sobbing into each others shoulders.

Hermione reached over a smacked the two boys on the back of their heads.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, **

"Aww-", once again filled the kitchen as many of the girls and Mrs Weasley cooed at the image.

The male inhabitants rolled their eyes and Harry blushed a shocking red that matched his Gryffindor robes.

**not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... **

"Brat", Ron muttered quietly.

**He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!".**

"Trust me, I need all the help I could get", Harry muttered darkly. He had assumed no one had heard but missed the bemused look on Dumbledore's face.

Making a mental note to store that information away for later Dumbledore turned to the Weasleys and guests, "Well that seems to be the end of the chapter. Why don't we all have a break and use the loo and such".

Several people stood and moved in the direction, and Ron all but flew into the kitchen for the food.

Harry snickered whereas Hermione muttered to herself about piggish eating habits.


End file.
